Vulcan Shenanigans
by CarefulWithThatMic
Summary: Continues where The Undiscovered Country ends. Spock finds himself overwhelmed with emotion. Kirk discovers that he has a surprising way of dealing with it. Light angst, happy ending. One shot.


I do not have a beta so any mistakes are mine. Enjoy!

Vulcan Shenanigans

"Captain's log, U.S.S. Enterprise, stardate 9529.1. This is the final cruise of the Starship Enterprise under my command. This ship and her history will shortly become the care of another crew. To them and their posterity will we commit our future. They will continue the voyages we have begun and journey to all the undiscovered countries, boldly going where no man, where no one, ...has gone before."

The crew of the Enterprise began their final cruise around the galaxy. Jim sat in his Captain's chair silently after he made his final log entry, with a content smile on his face.

Spock broke the silence to report, "All systems functioning normally at this time. "

"Very good, Mr. Spock," Kirk replied without looking over at him.

Spock silently got up from his seat and left the bridge to return to his assigned quarters. He sat on the bed, buried his face in his hands and sighed deeply. His meditation had helped to ebb some of the emotions that he was feeling, but he could not be rid of them. A thought entered his mind at that moment, something his mother told him as a child. He was angry and hurt. The other Vulcan children had been teasing him, and his father told him for the umteenth time about how logic offers peace and serenity. After Sarek left the room, his mother sat next to him, put her arm around him and gave him a squeeze. "Spock, your father and I have agreed to raise you on Vulcan, honoring the Vulcan customs and traditions. As you are half human, your emotions will affect you more than they would a full blooded Vulcan child. On earth we call children of your age group 'adolescents.' Your body and mind are growing and changing now more than ever. This is often the time where it is the most difficult to control emotional response. Not just for human children, but Vulcan ones as well. Did you ever think about what caused the Vulcan children to tease you?" Spock shook his head and his mother continued. "It is because it makes them feel superior. They are satisfying an emotional need to feel better about themselves. Your father and I have discussed with you in length the changes that will be happening to your body as you get older. Those changes include changes in hormone levels. Hormones can make even the best Vulcan children act highly illogical. I am proud of you Spock, because it is more difficult for you to control your emotions than it is for the other children. Yet you still seem to have a greater discipline than them."

Spock looked up at his mother with unshed tears in his eyes and whispered, "I get so angry and feel so hurt. It is most difficult to control."

"Spock, at your age and with everything you're going through, sometimes it helps to have a good cry."

"Crying would be illogical," he replied but a tear slipped down his cheek as he said it.

"Spock, if you allowed yourself to cry, you may find it easier to control your emotions afterward. And it will be our secret. I won't even tell your father."

Spock finally leaned into his mother and sobbed. She held onto him and rocked him and soothed him as wept and after a few minutes he calmed himself and allowed his mother to wipe away his tears. "There. I bet that you are feeling in greater control of your emotions than you were a few minutes ago."

"I do feel greater control. I thank you mother, and I cherish you."

"Sometimes crying helps. I am always here if you need me. And I cherish and love you, my son."

Spock rolled over the memory in his mind. His mother's words were logical. He was half human, and it was indeed harder for him to control his emotions. He had almost gotten the Captain and Dr. McCoy killed with his "arrogant presumption" that he could negotiate peace between the Federation and the Klingons. While the peace talks were now moving forward as he had hoped, he felt immense guilt. He also felt anger and sadness and disappointment. Lieutenant Valeris had been placed under arrest for murder, attempted murder and conspiracy. So many emotions, so difficult to control them all at once. Spock decided, sitting there on his bed on the Enterprise, that he would once again take his mother's advice, and have a good cry.

His hands lifted to cover his face again, and this time he sobbed into them. He felt guilt, shame, anger… and yet still arrogance that the peace talks were moving forward, which made him angrier still. He also felt immense sadness that this was the final cruise of the Enterprise with the team he'd grown to cherish. He continued to cry, and did not hear the chime signaling that someone was outside of his quarters.

Jim stood outside of Spock's quarters and hit the chime again, still getting no answer. He tried the door and found it locked. "Computer, what is the location of Mr. Spock?"

"Mr. Spock is located in his quarters, officer quarters, deck nine, room designation five eight four.

At that, Jim started to worry. Even while he was deep in meditation, he always answered the door. "Computer override lock, officers quarters, deck 9, room designation 584. Authorization Kirk four seven tango echo delta three six.

"Lock override complete."

Spock looked up in horror as the locked door to his quarters opened. When he saw it was Jim, he put his face back in his hands and continued to cry.

"Spock, what happened? What is it?" Jim asked as he sat next to Spock and put an arm around him. Spock did not immediately responded, so Jim just sat with him, and soon Spock finally regained control over his emotions and stood to face Jim.

"My apologies, Jim. I did not intend for anyone to see me in that state, which is why I locked my quarters."

"No, I apologize for overriding the lock. I was worried that something may have happened to you when you didn't answer. Spock are you OK? Why were you crying?"

"That is a loaded question, Captain."

"I've got time."

Spock silently brewed two cups of tea and handed one to Jim. He sat and finally started to speak. These last few days have been a challenge."

"No kidding," Jim replied and Spock continued.

"I have found myself being… overwhelmed by emotion."

"You, Spock? Overwhelmed by emotion?"

"Indeed. As I am half human, it is more difficult for me to control my emotions than other Vulcans. These emotions caused me to think of something my mother told me when I was a boy on Vulcan. She suggested that it may help to 'have a good cry' when the emotions became overwhelming. So that is what I proceeded to do."

"Are you OK now? I mean, did it help?"

"Indeed."

Jim looked at him for a long moment. "Spock, would you mind if I asked what emotions caused you to sit and cry to relieve them?"

Spock did not hesitate to answer, "Guilt, shame, arrogance, regret, disappointment, anger… Just to name a few."

"Spock, none of this was your fault…"

"I disagree. If I had not personally vouched for you, then you and Dr. McCoy…"

Jim interrupted him, "Yes, we would have never been sent to Rura Penthe. But if that never happened we would not have uncovered the conspiracy. The Chancellor, his daughter, and the President of the Federation would all be dead. There would be no peace, and in 50 years we would have to watch the entire Klingon race die knowing that we had every means to prevent it. You did what you felt was right and just, in every situation. I can't ask for more than that. The situation with Lieutenant Valeris… I'm not sure what to say to you about that. She was doing what she felt was right… 'saving Starfleet' as she put it. I don't think I've ever seen you that angry, but of course you had every right to be…"

"It was my foolish pride which made the situation with Valeris so difficult. I was so proud, so impressed by her accomplishments, that when we discovered the truth in Sickbay… I was flooded with overwhelming emotion. I managed to suppress much of it… but not enough."

"I saw that when you smacked the phaser out of her hand."

"Jim, I apologize for everything that's happened… for Lieutenant Valeris and myself."

"No apology is necessary, Mr. Spock. Everything worked out. The bad guys are locked away, peace talks with the Klingons continue, and we are officially decommissioned and retired upon returning to Spacedock. Spock, I don't know if this will make a difference to you or not… but I'm damned proud to have served with you. And proud to have you as a friend. I thank you, for everything you have done. It has truly been a pleasure." Jim offered his hand and Spock shook it offering a small smile.

"The pleasure was mine, Captain."

"Come on, let's go back to the bridge with the others."

When they got back to the bridge, Jim sat and gazed out at the stars, marveling at their beauty. He was shaken out of his thoughts by Mr. Spock's voice.

"Mr. Chekov, I understand that we are having trouble with the navigation system," Spock said, and before Chekov could reply that navigation was functioning normally, he continued. "With our navigation systems failing, I believe our heading to Spacedock will 'accidentally' take us to Risa instead." Everyone on the bridge smiled. "Mr. Scott, once we arrive to Risa, how long do you estimate the repairs to navigation systems to take?"

"I can imagine a week. Maybe more, sir," Scotty replied with a twinkle in his eye.

Chekov began pushing buttons on the console, "Plotting our new course to Risa, uh, I mean… Spacedock."

Jim smiled, "Full ahead, Mr. Chekov."

Spock approached the captain and shook Jim's hand again. "Thank you, Jim."

"What for?" Jim asked and Spock offered a small smile.

"For continuously putting up with and often encouraging my… shenanigans."

The end


End file.
